FILE - Actress/Singer Liz Elias attends a meet & greets and autographs signing at rue21 - Miami International Mall on Oct. 9, 2016 in Miami, Fla. The teen clothier announced the closure of nearly 400 stores to focus on its online efforts. less

FILE - Actress/Singer Liz Elias attends a meet & greets and autographs signing at rue21 - Miami International Mall on Oct. 9, 2016 in Miami, Fla. The teen clothier announced the closure of nearly 400 stores to ... more

Photo: Johnny Louis, FilmMagic, Getty Images

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Brands and companies predicted to fail or disappear in 2017.

Brands and companies predicted to fail or disappear in 2017.

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Image 3 of 24

Brands, companies that are predicted to fail or vanish outright in 2017

Virgin America

In April 2016, Alaska Airlines completed its purchase of Virgin America, becoming the fifth-largest air carrier in the U.S. The company has yet to announce anything, but experts believe it could very well discontinue the Virgin brand if market research indicates it should.

Fiat Chrysler announced it would end production of their sports car series sometime in 2017, citing poor sales. Still, it's not all glum. Wealthy enthusiasts can purchase five special models of the car when it all comes to an end.

One of the earliest pioneers in smartwatch technology bit the dust when Fitbit purchased its assets in December 2016. Unfortunately for its customers, owners of Pebble products will no longer receive support. If it dies, it dies.

Following reports by the Wall Street Journal that its blood-testing devices were inaccurate, the healthcare tech company was forced to void all of its testing between 2014 and 2015. Amidst various lawsuits and owner Elizabeth Holmes' net worth being reduced to zero, it's safe to say the company is on borrowed time.

With its purchase of DirectTV in 2015, the telecommunications company has been pushing its customers away from its one-all broadband package and toward the DirectTV brand. The Internet business blog 24/7 Wall Street said AT&T has begun phasing out U-verse subscriptions and production of related equipment as a result.

In March 2016, the sports retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after acquiring more than $1 billion in debt. Following a series of final liquidation sales and the closure of all of its stores, rival sports retailer Dick's Sporting Goods purchased the dead company's IP.

As the Verge so eloquently stated in mid-December 2016, it's "Yak to square one" for this California social media startup. The company laid off 60 percent of its employees, leaving only 20 remaining at the fledgling company. Add to that its user base has been steadily declining and is no longer among the most downloaded apps on the Apple iStore.

As the Verge so eloquently stated in mid-December 2016, it's "Yak to square one" for this California social media startup. The company laid off 60 percent of its employees, leaving only 20 remaining at

After much wrangling with trade groups and the U.S. government over a proposed purchase by Comcast, the telecommunications company was instead purchased by Charter Communications in May 2016. The new owners already have plans to phase out the old "Warner" moniker in favor of their own: Charter Spectrum.

The American technology company has suffered a great deal, even before telecommunications giant Verizon expressed interest in purchasing it. Former CEO Marissa Meyer's strategy of revitalizing the brand never panned out and two colossal data breaches have made some very important people very nervous. Should Verizon back out of the deal, Ars Technica notes things will definitely look dour in 2017.

The American technology company has suffered a great deal, even before telecommunications giant Verizon expressed interest in purchasing it. Former CEO Marissa Meyer's strategy of revitalizing the brand

Despite its apparent swell in popularity thanks to the new Vive virtual reality headset, Ars Technica notes the company is still the same mismanaged and bleeding behemoth we've known years prior. Couple that with T-Mobile dropping the HTC 10 and the precarious position of the Vive in such a new marketplace, the stakes are perhaps too high for the technology company.

Despite its apparent swell in popularity thanks to the new Vive virtual reality headset, Ars Technica notes the company is still the same mismanaged and bleeding behemoth we've known years prior. Couple that

Many outlets continually put the Canadian telecommunications company on their death lists year after year, but Ars Technica is outright stating the company will disappear in 2017. After the release of the Priv in 2015, Blackberry is ditching the smartphone and is again pursuing one last keyboard phone before it gets out of the phone business altogether.

The Japanese telecommunications company is adding more subscribers, but it's still losing revenue, according to Graphiq. What gives? Its competitors are adding subscribers faster, leaving the troubled company in fourth place among phone carriers.

It doesn't matter how many times we say the Plano-based department store chain will die, J.C. Penney will still find a way to trod breathlessly along into the next financial year. This time around things are somewhat rosier with the company's revenue up slightly year over year, according to Graphiq.

Like J.C. Penney, Sears has managed to hold on year after year despite doom-and-gloom predictions. Since its merger with Kmart, things have not gotten better with the company closing 68 Kmarts and 10 Sears stores in April 2016. Sales continue to suffer as customers pursue online offerings at rivals like Amazon and Walmart.

Like J.C. Penney, Sears has managed to hold on year after year despite doom-and-gloom predictions. Since its merger with Kmart, things have not gotten better with the company closing 68 Kmarts and 10 Sears

Graphiq notes the retail chain is at risk thanks to dwindling sales and competition from rival stores like IKEA and Walmart. In May 2016, CEO Kip Tindell stepped down from his CEO position as a result.

The American cosmetics company has suffered somewhat in the past two years, Bloomberg reported. Its revenues have fallen below $1 billion and its sale to Revlon was a bit suspect when they agreed to sell below their past trade price. It's unclear if Revlon will continue on with the Arden brand or simply absorb the entirety of the business.

The Brazilian oil giant has fallen on hard times, much like its home country. Currently embroiled in a government corruption scandal, the petroleum company has also earned a "junk" rating from credit agency S&P.